Ursula von der Leyen, the new President of the European Commission has said in the very first section of her vision document that she wants what she calls a Green Deal for Europe, noting:
I want Europe to strive for more by being the first climate-neutral continent.
The message from Europe's voters — and those too young to vote — is loud and clear: they want real action on climate change and they want Europe to lead the way.
I have been inspired by the passion, conviction and energy of the millions of our young people making their voice heard on our streets and in our hearts. They are standing up for their future and it is our generational duty to deliver for them.
Becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent is the greatest challenge and opportunity of our times. It involves taking decisive action now. We will need to invest in innovation and research, redesign our economy and update our industrial policy.
To help us achieve our ambition, I will propose a European Green Deal in my first 100 days in office.
This will include the first European Climate Law to enshrine the 2050 climate- neutrality target into law.
The words are vague, to be kind, and I'll wait for 100 days to pass, noting that peaceful protest has clearly played a part in shaping her thinking, and suspecting that it might still need to do so.
In particular, I note first of all far too great a reliance on private investment to achieve her plans, with no incentives or quantitative easing backstops mentioned.
Second, I am troubled by a focus on restoring economic growth which is wholly incompatible with the climate goals.
And third, I see too much mention of competition when market reform is vital to constrain excessive consumption - starting with supply-side constraints.
The words look good. Their wrapping is troubling. I am not convinced by this conflicted plan, and it will take a lot more to persuade me as yet.
A Green New Deal requires much more reform and considerably more intervention than is being proposed here. The last person to use the words Green Deal as an alternative to a Green New Deal was David Cameron in 2o10. The precedent is not encouraging.
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Economic growth is indeed incompatible with the climate goals. The problem is that under current economic thinking the causality is being claimed to run the other way, and only a CO2 tax can be brought in to balance the desire for technical growth with restraining emissions. I thought Rupert Read was very good on the Radio 4 programme this morning when he stated similar thoughts, but wasn’t very clear on whether a technical recession would be required to cause climate goals to be achieved, or the causation was the other way round.
Myself: I’m a believer in compatibility, whether racial, social, environmental or economic.
Any growth HAS to be in the increased use of renewables with new technologies coming on line and the corresponding REDUCTION of emissions and emission producing means we have now. The language of growth need not be abandoned totally – it can be applied differently to measure the objectives of change.
The age old GDP debate (Growth Domestic Problem) also has to be addressed in order measure what is measured in a more holistic way – we need to get away from growth being led by money factors alone and to a more holistic, qualitative way of looking at things.
The hardest part will balancing the withdrawal of the old with that of the introduction of the new.
My big worry about any named policy like GND is that it is used as a banner only by modern politicians so, because people think that the term is being used they then think GND is actually taking place, which results in a false consciousness that things are improving or will improve when in fact the status quo remains. The Tories BTW do this all of the time.
Your concern is very real
I agree. Words become empty slogans thrown around in speeches to appease rebellious crowds, they are mostly meaningless, but the crowds they aim to appease are no longer fooled nor appeased by speeches.
Growth, as you say, has to include that in alternative technologies which will help to reduce the harm done to the environment, and also improvements in quality of life and well-being for people more generally.
Von der Leyen’s conservative political leanings will influence her actions in her new role, so the youngsters she mentions, and their supporters, need to keep countering that influence by theirs. They have made a good start.